Senate to Jonathan: Increase Size of Military to Battle Insurgency

The Senate has called President Goodluck Jonathan to give an order to the military and security agencies to carry out urgent recruitment. The increase of the forces’ size is needed as the insurgency has overstretched the security agencies.

The decision was one of the recommendations from the report of investigations into the killings which the senate approved at plenary on Wednesday.

The senate also asked government at all levels to re-open all government institutions, health centres, and police stations shut down as a result of the activities of the Boko Haram sect in Baga border town, Borno state.

With echoes of international and national condemnation over the magnitude of the loss of lives and accusing fingers pointed at the military for its alleged role in the violence, the senate mandated its committees to investigate the incident.

The Chairman, Senate committee on defence, George Sekibo said the figure of casualties and loss of properties was exaggerated a claim some of the lawmakers challenged.

The number of casualties aside, lawmakers said government at all level must address some fundamental problems if Nigeria hopes to win the war against terrorism.